


Is Something Burning?

by paintedbluerose



Series: Whumptober [14]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Awkwardness, Episode: s03e14-15 The Boiling Rock, Gen, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Implied Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Kind of vague, Oblivious Sokka (Avatar), Whump, Whumptober, Whumptober 2020, Zuko (Avatar) whump, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, relationship or friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:20:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27069271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paintedbluerose/pseuds/paintedbluerose
Summary: Boiling Rock and the Warden wants to make sure Zuko knows he’s a prisoner. Sokka tries to help.(Little pain, little awkwardness.)Day 14 of Whumptober theme: Is something burning?Prompts: branding, heat exhaustion, fire
Relationships: Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), The Warden & Zuko
Series: Whumptober [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1950010
Comments: 25
Kudos: 119





	Is Something Burning?

**Author's Note:**

> I know this is late. I was on vacation this week and just not motivated to do anything. Plus I had to think of something. I only thought of the awkwardness at the end. 😂 Which doesn’t count for Whumptober so...
> 
> There is some Sokka and Zuko moment but it could be flirting or bros. Not much or strong.

The plan was ruined. Sokka’s father wasn’t at the Boiling Rock. Zuko had been caught. And now he sat in a chair, wrists in metal chains, waiting for the Warden to appear. Zuko blamed himself for all of it. As long as Sokka kept his mouth shut and didn’t do or say anything that would jeopardize himself, they would be okay. It would be easier if Sokka wasn’t in the room with him while they waited for the Warden. Or it didn’t look like the Warden was going to torture Zuko. In front of Sokka. Who was posing as a guard and needed to continue that illusion.

Zuko tried to push the thoughts and the panic away. He could deal with torture (he had Ozai as a father after all), but he couldn’t deal with Sokka seeing him be tortured.

“Prince Zuko.” The Warden snarled as he ended the room. “I’m surprised to see you here. When I heard you turned traitor, I thought you would leave the Fire Nation entirely. Yet here you are. In my prison.” The Warden leaned in close to Zuko, so that they were almost touching. “What are you doing in my prison?”

“Uh...I’m here...for the view?” Zuko lamely admitted while trying not to look at the Warden. If that didn’t send up a big red flag of lying, he didn’t know what would.

“The view?” The Warden repeated.

“Yes...?”

The Warden rolled his eyes before stepping away from Zuko. He walked to the the guard in the room and grabbed something from him. Zuko couldn’t tell what it was. Not until the Warden turned around and held the knife in his hands.

“I don’t believe you Prince Zuko. But it makes no difference to me.” The Warden lit the knife up with his firebending, making it red hot with flames. “I only care that you are here. As my prisoner.”

Before Zuko could open his mouth to say anything, the Warden dug the knife into Zuko’s chest. As the Warden moved the knife around, cutting flesh, the fire burned around, causing intense pain. Zuko tried to hold back a scream but the sickening smell of burning flesh engulfed him, reminding him of his scar. The more Zuko tried to move, the worse it was for him. His wrists and feet were chained to the chair. Anytime he moved, the metal would cut into his flesh.

“Now everyone will know you’re _my prisoner_.” The Warden said as he stepped back, blood dripping from the knife. “You belong to _me_!”

“I belong to no one.” Zuko snarled.

The Warden placed his hands on the metal cuffs holding Zuko’s wrists. A brief moment passed before Zuko realized what was going on. The Warden was using his firebending to heat up the metal around Zuko’s wrists so that it burned twice as hot twice as fast. “By the time I’m done with you, you’ll be singing a different tune Prince Zuko.”

~~~~

Sokka had no idea what to do. He already got Zuko in trouble by exposing him. Now the Warden had to brand and burn him. Sokka wanted to stop the Warden and protect his friend. But he knew if he showed any sympathy towards Zuko, both of them would be in trouble. Hearing Zuko scream did not help at all. Sokka had to close his fists tight enough to draw blood to ground himself.

He thought Zuko would be fine once the Warden was done branding him. Until Zuko had to open his mouth at the Warden. Now the smell of metal burning flesh filled the air. Sokka didn’t know what was worse: the smell, the sound of Zuko screaming, or the sight of fire burning the boy. The more Zuko screamed, the more the Warden let fire surround Zuko, encasing but never touching Zuko. It was as if he was trying to chock Zuko.

The Warden only stopped when another guard came in to deliver a message to him. One that he was waiting for apparently. “Prince Zuko needs to cool off.” The Warden turned to Sokka. “Put him in the cooler.”

Because Sokka was stupid, he had to open his mouth. “How long should he stay?”

“Until sunset.” The Warden smirked.

Sokka cursed himself for asking. Sunset was hours away. Even if Zuko could hold off on the cold with his firebending, he would still be freezing. Sokka might not be able to stop any of it from happening, but he could help his friend after the cooler.

Once Zuko was placed in the cooler, Sokka left in the pretense of a break. He grabbed a first aid kit for the burns Zuko had (and tried not to think of the gruesome burns and exposed flesh) and grabbed extra blankets. He dropped those off in Zuko’s room, making sure he wasn’t seen. Then ran to the kitchen and grabbed some food he could stash in Zuko’s room without suspicion.

When he was prepared, he went back to guarding Zuko’s cooler, anxiously waiting until sunset. Every so often, he would peak into the cooler to check on Zuko. At first, Zuko smiled at him. As time went on, Zuko stopped looking anywhere and curled into himself. About an hour before sunset, Zuko was unconscious. Sokka hoped time would speed up so he could help his friend.

As soon as the sun was setting, Sokka had Zuko out the cooler. He wasn’t waiting a moment longer. He managed to bring Zuko to his room in record time. 

Knowing his friend needed warmth right away, he removed Zuko’s cold clothes. He wrapped the two of them up in the blankets Sokka snuggled in. He wrapped his arms around Zuko and kept his body close to Zuko, knowing skin to skin contact would be the best. Hopefully the body heat would warm the firebender up enough to wake him up.

It was about an hour later Zuko started to wake up. Sokka still kept the close contact in hopes it would help Zuko even further.

“Sokka...?” Zuko asked after a few minutes. 

“Hey buddy! Glad you’re back!” Sokka grinned. “I was worried for a little bit.”

Zuko looked up at Sokka and then took in his surroundings. “You brought me back to my room.”

“Of course! I’m not going to leave you in the cooler.” Sokka said. Zuko started to sit up but Sokka pulled him back down. “Why are you rushing to get up? You need to rest.”

Zuko nodded and went to lay back down but stopped halfway. “Sokka? Am... am I naked?”

“Well yeah. Your clothes were cold and wet. When that happens back home the first thing we do is remove the wet clothes. I had to warm you up.” Sokka noticed Zuko stiffen and start to pull away.

“Sokka. Are you... are you naked?” 

“Of course. Skin to skin is the best way to warm someone up.” As Sokka spoke, he noticed a blush spread across Zuko’s face, down to his neck. “That’s how we do it back home.”

“So, you’re naked and I’m naked.” Zuko squeaked.

Sokka was confused. Zuko’s blush seemed to intensify. “That’s correct. We’re both naked. To warm you up.” Zuko let out another squeak, which was cute and funny, but made no sense. “You were cold. And now you’re not...?”

“Sokka...” Zuko spoke his name like he was talking to a child. He also did not look at Sokka. “I thank you for that but we’re naked.”

“I don’t understand what the problem-“ Sokka stopped once it hit him. Sometimes, he was stupid. “Oh. Oh. Well I should go put my clothes on. And leave you.”

“Thank you.” Zuko mumbled as he threw the blanket over his face.

Sokka dressed as quick as possible. “Okay I’m done. You can open your eyes. Sorry about the whole...awkwardness.” Sokka said as he backed away. “I’ll leave you for now. Maybe check on you later. When you’re dressed. In clothes.”

“Sokka. Shut up.”

“Okay.” He was to the door and almost had it open when Zuko spoke up.

“Thanks Sokka. For everything.” He smiled.

“No problem. We’re friends. We take care of each other.” 


End file.
